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Benny, a 4-year-old Wheaten Terrier, was reunited with his owner Friday safe and sound after being trapped in a 12-foot holefor four days.

Firefighters were called Friday afternoon to a home on Spears St., in the St. Clair Ave. W. and Weston Rd. area, to rescue the dog that had gone missing and was discovered in an abandoned well underneath a pool.

At first, they tried to lure Benny with food and a blanket attached with ropes so they could pull him up to safety, but he didn’t budge.

Three hours and several attempts later, firefighters managed to yank him from the hole.

When Benny was finally lifted out of the well, wet and dirty, owner Audrey Fantauzzi said, “It was like giving birth to a child. It was the most amazing feeling to see him alive.”

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Firefighters had lowered a GoPro camera on a pole into the well and they spotted Benny curled up in a corner, exhausted and out of reach. Animal Services was also called to help with the complex rescue.

It is believed that Benny may have fallen into the hole after being chased by another dog and that the hole might have been uncovered due to erosion.

In a phone interview with the Star, Fantauzzi, 58,described what she felt when Benny had gone missing on Tuesday. She said Benny is a shy dog who likes to stay indoors and slept with her at night.

The first night Benny was missing, Fantauzzi and her son scoured their neighbourhood for hours calling out his name, but no sign of Benny.

“It’s been very traumatic the last three days. My son and I have been out putting out posters, handing out flyers morning, noon and night.”

The rain and snow on Thursday didn’t help calm Fantauzzi’s nerves. She said she was starting to fear that Benny had frozen to death, but she tried to stay positive.

“I hadn’t given up,” she said. “I was feeling pretty low, but I was feeling like that I shouldn’t give up hope.”

On Friday, neighbours discovered Benny whimpering after their dog began scratching at their fence and digging up snow. When Fantauzzi heard the news, she raced home from work.

“Emotions were at the very lowest a half hour before they called to say they had found him,” Fantauzzi said. “I was literally sobbing at work and I’m just so grateful because he really is my best friend.”

Fantauzzi said she feels really lucky to be reunited with her dog and she added that it feels a bit like a miracle considering that he “looked pretty worse for wear” when firefighters pulled him, filthy and bedraggled out of the muddy pit.

She said the first thing she did was to take him inside and give Benny a bath to clean him off. She gave him some water and then rushed him to the vet.

When she arrived at the vet, she said the staff were shocked because they expected Benny to be in much worse condition. Fantauzzi said, “considering what he’s been through, he’s doing amazing.”

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